Aircraft, such as commercial airliners, typically include control surfaces or devices mounted on the wings to improve the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft. Such control surfaces include wing leading edge devices and wing trailing edge devices which may be extended and/or deflected during different phases of a flight, to alter the lift and/or drag characteristics of the wings. For example, commercial airliners typically include trailing edge flaps which may be extended during takeoff to increase the camber of the wings, resulting in an increase in the lift characteristics of the wings during takeoff and climb-out of the aircraft.
Conventional aircraft typically allow for extending the flaps to a limited number of flap settings for a given flight phase. Such flap settings may be based on the aircraft configuration and a given set of airport parameters and/or atmospheric conditions. For example, during takeoff, conventional aircraft may allow for extending the flaps to a takeoff flap setting of Flaps 15. Such a takeoff flap setting may be based on a maximum takeoff weight aircraft with engines operating at maximum takeoff thrust and departing from a standard length runway at sea level.
However, the aircraft may have an actual takeoff weight that may be less than the maximum takeoff weight such that the Flaps 15 setting may result in operating the engines at an unnecessarily high thrust setting which may contribute to engine wear and generate excessive engine noise. In addition, positioning the flaps at a flap setting of Flaps 15 may generate a climb rate that is above or below what may be required for obstacle or engine-out climb requirements. In contrast, operating the engines at an optimum (e.g., reduced) thrust setting may allow for a reduction in engine sizing and reduced mission fuel burn corresponding to reduced fuel requirements which may translate into improved aircraft performance in the form of increased takeoff weight capability.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for optimizing the flap setting and thrust setting for a given aircraft configuration and a given set of airport parameters and/or atmospheric conditions.